Kohala Lighthouse Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright, Rusty here. Let’s get real about this one.

Honestly, folks, we’re looking at a bit of a rough patch ahead. There’s a long, tough stretch of poor surf conditions on the menu. The first recommendation I’ve got for you is on Thursday the 10th of September, but it’s not a pretty picture. The whole 16-day window is essentially one big gap with no decent surf on offer. From that first Thursday right through to Friday the 25th, it’s all messy and lumpy. We are talking a solid 16-day stretch of ugly.

The only break we’ve got data for is Kohala Lighthouse (Hawaii), a reef setup that usually needs a clean north swell to work its magic. But that’s not what’s happening. The water temp here feels about average for this time of year, nothing wild.

The overall pattern is dominated by a persistent, moderate-to-fresh ENE wind that’s blowing cross-shore the whole time. That wind is chewing up any hope of a clean face. It’s creating a constant mix of cross-chop and lumpy surface conditions. You’ll see some swell, sure, but it’s coming from the ENE and it’s short period stuff – mostly between 7 and 9 seconds. This means weak, bumpy waves with no real push.

On the 10th and 11th, we’ve got swell around 4 ft to 6 ft, but the wind is howling at 16 to 22 mph. The combined energy is moderate, sitting between 311 and 435, but it doesn’t matter with that wind. The wave comment sums it up: “poor surf conditions.” On the 17th and 18th of September, some bigger swell pushes through, hitting 7 ft to 8 ft. The combined energy goes up into the strong range (612 to 652), but the wind is still a fresh to strong cross-shore, and the period drops back to 7-8 seconds. This setup is going to be too big for beginners on those days, and with the wind, it’s just a messy, lumpy wall for experts to wrestle with.

We do get a moment on the 15th of September where the wind drops to a gentle breeze (9 mph), but the swell is only 3 ft with a weak 7-second period and combined energy of just 170. It’s the cleanest it’ll look, but it’s small and weak.

Look, there’s no standout day here. No window with good wind and quality swell. The constant cross-shore wind just ruins everything. For a place like Kohala Lighthouse, which needs that clean offshore to shine, this is a total bust. This setup looks more interesting for kite surfing than paddle surfing given the cross-shore consistency and lumpy water.

Better luck next time. The forecasts can always change.

- Rusty

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